Preparation

Opening response

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, God of compassion and mercy,to you be praise and glory forever.In the darkness of our sin,your light breaks forth like the dawnand your healing springs up for deliverance.As we rejoice in the gift of your saving help,sustain us with your bountiful Spiritand open our lips to sing your praise.Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Blessed be God forever.

Hymn

Hail! Jesus Hail! Our Great High Priest

Charles Wesley

Hail! Jesus hail! Our great High Priest,Entered into thy glorious rest,That holy, happy place above;Thou hast the conquest more than gainedThe everlasting bliss obtainedFor all who trust thy dying love.

The blood of goats and bullocks slainCould never purge our guilty stain,Could never for our sins atone;But thou thine own most precious blood,Hast shed to make us priests to God,And seat us with thee on thy throne.

May the God of all healing and forgivenessdraw us to himself,and cleanse us from all our sinsthat we may behold the glory of his Son,the Word made flesh,Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

The Word of God

Psalm 34

Refrain:Taste and see how good the Lord is!

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth.I praise the Lord— let the suffering listen and rejoice.Magnify the Lord with me! Together let us lift his name up high!I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears.Those who look to God will shine; their faces are never ashamed.This suffering person cried out: the Lord listened and saved him from every trouble.On every side, the Lord’s messenger protects those who honor God; and he delivers them.Taste and see how good the Lord is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!You who are the Lord’s holy ones, honor him, because those who honor him don’t lack a thing.Even strong young lions go without and get hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.Come, children, listen to me. Let me teach you how to honor the Lord:Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things? Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies!Turn away from evil! Do good! Seek peace and go after it!The Lord’s eyes watch the righteous, his ears listen to their cries for help.But the Lord’s face is set against those who do evil, to eliminate even the memory of them from the earth.When the righteous cry out, the Lord listens; he delivers them from all their troubles.The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.The righteous have many problems, but the Lord delivers them from every one.He protects all their bones; not even one will be broken.But just one problem will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be held responsible.The Lord saves his servants’ lives; all those who take refuge in him won’t be held responsible for anything.

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:Taste and see how good the Lord is!

Psalm prayer

Send your holy angelsto watch over us, O God,that on our lips will be found your truthand in our hearts your love;so we may ever taste your goodnessin the land of the living;through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament readingGenesis 45:1-15

Joseph could no longer control himself in front of all his attendants, so he declared, “Everyone, leave now!” So no one stayed with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard him. Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m Joseph! Is my father really still alive?” His brothers couldn’t respond because they were terrified before him.

Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” and they moved closer. He said, “I’m your brother Joseph! The one you sold to Egypt. Now, don’t be upset and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here. Actually, God sent me before you to save lives. We’ve already had two years of famine in the land, and there are five years left without planting or harvesting. God sent me before you to make sure you’d survive and to rescue your lives in this amazing way. You didn’t send me here; it was God who made me a father to Pharaoh, master of his entire household, and ruler of the whole land of Egypt.

“Hurry! Go back to your father. Tell him this is what your son Joseph says: ‘God has made me master of all of Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t delay. You may live in the land of Goshen, so you will be near me, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everyone with you. I will support you there, so you, your household, and everyone with you won’t starve, since the famine will still last five years.’ You and my brother Benjamin have seen with your own eyes that I’m speaking to you. Tell my father about my power in Egypt and about everything you’ve seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. He kissed all of his brothers and wept, embracing them. After that, his brothers were finally able to talk to him.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament readingHebrews 3:1-6

Therefore, brothers and sisters who are partners in the heavenly calling, think about Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed him just like Moses was faithful in God’s house. But he deserves greater glory than Moses in the same way that the builder of the house deserves more honor than the house itself. Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant in order to affirm the things that would be spoken later. But Jesus was faithful over God’s house as a Son. We are his house if we hold on to the confidence and the pride that our hope gives us.

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticleThe Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Refrain:Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.

Bless the Lord God of Israelbecause he has come to help and has delivered his people.He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.He has brought salvation from our enemiesand from the power of all those who hate us.He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,and remembered his holy covenant,the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.He has granted that we would be rescuedfrom the power of our enemiesso that we could serve him without fear,in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,for as long as we live.You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.You will tell his people how to be savedthrough the forgiveness of their sins.Because of our God’s deep compassion,the dawn from heaven will break upon us,to give light to those who are sitting in darknessand in the shadow of death,to guide us on the path of peace.”

Luke 1:68-79

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain: Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again;he ascended into heaven,is seated at the right hand of the Father,and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

Intercession and thanksgiving

Prayers are offeredfor the day and its tasksfor the world and its needsfor the Church and her life

Response

Father, by your SpiritBring in your kingdom.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God,you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,that they may return to the way of righteousness:grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's religion,that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession,and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;through our Lord Jesus Christ,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Trusting in the compassion of God,as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yoursnow and forever.Amen.